Lubricating apparatus



June 11,1929. L S.VVATRES LUBRICATING APPARATUS I 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 26, 1923 INVENTOR. M 40m BY A TTORNE Y.

June 11, 1929. w s 1,717,288

' .LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I if INVENTOR. 31 La 3% MMY-{ad ATTORNEY.

Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcs.

LEWIS S. WATRES OF SCRAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO NATIONAL GRAPH- ITE LUBRIOATION COMPANY, DELAWARE.

OF WILWING-TON, DELAVJABE, A CORPORATION OF LUBBICATING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 26, 1923. Serial No. 676,902.

My invention relates to the lubrication of moving parts, such as the valves and pistons of steam engines, air compressors and similar apparatus by means of a solid, such as graphite.

In my prior Patent No. 1,017,935of Feb.- ruary 20, 1912, applied for August 30, 1911, I have described and claimed several forms of apparatus which may be used for automatically introducing finely divided graphite in regulated amounts into the steam chest of an engine. I have now devised an improved form of apparatus by means of which graphite in the form of a stick may be introduced into the steam chest of an engine and there made pulverulont and hence available for lubrication, as required. I

My invent-ion will behest understood by reference to the accompanying drawings taken with the following detailed description.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of my invention applied to the lubrication of the piston valves and pistons of a locomotive; Fig. 2 is a view of a vertical section taken partially through the device itself, and the steam chest and valve to which it is applied; Fig. 3 is a view of the valve spool with the abrasive plate in place; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in section of the magazine tube and the means for holding it in place, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the plate having thereon an abrasive surface.

In the illustrative embodiment above shown, a stick of graphite is fed into the steam chest of an engine ofthe piston valve type an d onto a plate having an abrasive surface afiixed to the valve spool, whereby par ticles of graphite will be removed by the abrading action of this surface during each travel of the valve. The particles of graphite thus removed are taken up and carried by the steam into contact with the wearing parts of the valve and cylinder.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 1, de-

portion 11 in threaded engagement with an opening through the valve casing 12, forms afully l described notes a casing which, together with a body trjemity beingexternally threaded to receive a cap 17. By screwing the cap down firmly, the shoulder 18 thereof engages the enlarged portion 14 of the magazine tube and thereby holds it firmly against shoulder 15 of casing 10, thuspreventing any movement of maga zine tube 13. To facilitate the removal of tube 13, when cap 17 is removed, a pair of diametrically opposite indentures 19 may be provided in the enlarged portion 14 to engage an ap nopriate tool.

Mounted on valve spool of the valve, which is of the piston type, is plate 26 which,

, in order to make a. firm contact with the spool 25, is preferably provided with legs 27, 27 and a saddle 28, in each end of which is pro vided a notch 29, by means of which the plate may be bolted to the spool 25 by means of a bolt 30 on each side of the plate. The surface of plate 26 is preferably curved so as to be a1)proXimately concentric to the valve spool 25. Part of the surface of plate 26 is advantageously covered with an abrasive material, such as carborun'dum or the like, as is indicated at 31, and which may be caused to adhere to the plate 26 in any suitable way as, for example, by casting theplate in a mold withthe carborundum crystals in place. The plate 26 is, of course, so positioned on the valve spool 25, with respect to the magazine tube 13, as to always retain on its surface the lower end of a graphite stick 32 contained therein. This will necessitate, of course, the

plate 26 being at least as long as the maxi-.

mum travel of the valve spool25.

These graph te stlcks may be made as 18 1,185,682, issued to Georg Kirkegaard 011 June 6, 1916, and may conveniently be of one inch in diameter and one inch long. A number of these sticks 32 of such dimensions may be contained in the magazinetube 13, which, of course, is slightly larger than the diameter of the stick, and feed by virtue of their own weigl'it onto the plate 26. The tube 13 is preferably adjusted in length so as to have a slight clearance, say one-sixteenth of an inch, with respect to the plate 26. During each travel of the valve spool 25 the lower surface of the last stick 32 is abraded by the surface 31. The particles of graphite thus detached from the stick are taken up by the steam and brought into contact with the various wearing surfaces, and it will be seen that the amount of graphite so made available for in Letters Patent No.

lubrication is in direct proportion to the speed of the engine.

It is now thought that the operation of my improved apparatus will be apparent. By making the plate 26 approximately concentric With the val ve spool, the slight lateral movements of the valve spool, which are liable to occur, do not result in the abrasive material coming into contact with the metal edge of the magazine tube, and by making the plate 26 of ample width there is no danger of part of the graphite stick extending over the edge of the plate. It will also be noted that the magazine tube 13 is removable and permits of pulling the valve without removing the entire casing.

I claim:

1 In combination with the cylinder of a steam engine, having a valve of the piston type, a curved plate carried by the spool of said valve and substantially concentric therewith, an abrasive surface carried by said plate and means for feeding a mass of lubricant in the form of a solid onto said plate and in the path of travel of said surface, whereby particles of the solid lubricant will be removed from said mass by said surface, and will be available for transfer to the surfaces to be lubri ated.

22. In combination with the cylinder of a steam engine, having a valve of the piston type, a curved abrasive surface held in fixed relation to the spool of said valve and substantially concentric therewith and means for feeding a mass of lubricant in solid form onto said abrasive surface during at least a part of the travel thereof, whereby particles of the solid lubricant will be removed from said mass by said surface, and will be available for transfer to the surfaces to be lubricated.

In combination with the cylinder of a steam engine, having a. valve of the piston type, a curved plate carried by the spool of said valve and substantially concentric there with, an abrasive surface carried by said plate and means for feeding a mass of lubricantin the form of a solid onto said plate and in the path of travel of said surface, comprising a tube for containing one or more sticks of graphite in solid form, said tube extending through the steam chest of the engine and terminating normally to and slightly separated from said plate and a closure for the exterior end of said tube.

4. A. device for feeding a lubricant in solid form into the steam chest of an engine cylinder comprising, in combination, a casing adapted for threaded engagement with an o .ieniug into said steam chest, a tube removably held in said casing and adapted to extend into the steam chest and to contain said lubricant in solid form, means on said tube engaging said casing for hunting the projection of said tube into the Steam chest and a cap for said casing.

5. In combination with the cylinder of a steam engine having a valve, an abrasive surface held in fixed elation to said valve,

means for feeding a lubricant in solid form onto said surface during at least a part of the travel thereof, comprising a casing in threaded engagement with an opening into. the steam chest of said cylinder, a'tube removably held in said casing and extending into pron imity of the path of said surface and a cap for said easin g. v

6. A device for feeding a lubricant in solid form into the steam chest of an engine cylinder comprising, in combination, a casing adapted for threaded engagement with an opening into said steam chest, a tube removably held in said casing and adapted to extend into the steam chest and to contain said lubricant in solid form, an enlarged portion atthe upper end of said tube and exterior thereof to engage a shoulder in said casing, a cap in threaded engagement with said casing and adapted to bind said enlarged portion against said shoulder.

LEWIS S. NATRES. 

